​
​
Advanced Search

Hipster Names for Boys and Girls

  1. Mercury

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "Roman messenger god"

    • Description:

      Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman god Mercury, which derives from the Latin words for trade or wages, is the patron of tradesmen and travelers and the fastest-moving planet in the solar system. Mercury is the planet associated with the sign of Virgo, so this is one of the prime names for Virgo babies.
  2. Lloyd

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "gray"

    • Description:

      This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh nickname was Llwyd, pronounced LHOO-eed, and is the Welsh word for the color.
  3. Saga

    • Origin:

      Swedish word name

    • Meaning:

      "story; seeress"

    • Description:

      Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.
  4. Nigel

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "dark, black-haired"

    • Description:

      A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes.
  5. Gertrude

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "strength of a spear"

    • Description:

      Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T., revive the long shunned Gertrude?
  6. Sigrid

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "fair victory"

    • Description:

      Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
  7. Winslow

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "friend's hill"

    • Description:

      Winston meets Marlow in this surname-style choice, blending old-fashioned charm and a hint of stuffiness with a bit of modern edge and breeziness too. Borne by the distinguished American landscape painter Winslow Homer, it could make a creative and unexpected choice, though some may be put off by the 'slow' ending.
  8. Myrtle

    • Origin:

      Greek botanical name

    • Description:

      Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
  9. Kip

    • Origin:

      American diminution of Christopher, Greek and Latin

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"

    • Description:

      Kip Thorne, nobel laureate and long-time colleague of Stephen Hawking, is just one of several Kips who don't have a longer name. But Kip is often short for Christopher.
  10. Nadine

    • Origin:

      French variation of Nadia, Russian

    • Meaning:

      "hope"

    • Description:

      Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
  11. Prairie

    • Origin:

      English nature name

    • Meaning:

      "prairie"

    • Description:

      Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.
  12. Quill

    • Origin:

      Irish, diminutive of Quillan or Quiller; also English word name

    • Meaning:

      "lion, scribe, writer with a quill pen"

    • Description:

      Quill is a unique possibility for the child of writers -- even if they do use computers rather than pens; could also serve as a rhyming tribute to an ancestor named Gil, Phil, or Bill (or Jill).
  13. Io

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Description:

      Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter, was in classic myth raped by Zeus and escaped from him by changing herself into a cow.
  14. Imogene

    • Description:

      Imogene is a feminine name of Celtic origin, believed to be derived from the Gaelic word 'imogen,' meaning 'maiden' or 'daughter.' Some scholars suggest it may also have connections to the Latin phrase 'Iphigenia,' from Greek mythology. The name gained literary significance through Shakespeare's play 'Cymbeline,' where the virtuous protagonist bears this name. Imogene enjoyed moderate popularity in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries before declining, though it has seen renewed interest in recent years as part of the revival of vintage names. With its combination of classical literary associations and a distinctive, melodic sound, Imogene appeals to parents seeking names with historical depth, intellectual connections, and a touch of antiquated elegance.

  15. Plum

    • Origin:

      Fruit name

    • Description:

      British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.
  16. Jethro

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "excellence"

    • Description:

      Jethro, though the biblical father-in-law of Moses, has suffered for a long time from a Beverly Hillbilly image, but some really adventurous parents might consider updating and urbanizing it and transitioning it into the hip o-ending category.
  17. Edna

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "rejuvenation, delight"

    • Description:

      Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
  18. Loretta

    • Origin:

      English variation of Italian Lauretta; diminutive of Laura

    • Meaning:

      "bay laurel"

    • Description:

      Though Loretta has long ago lost its Latin flair, fashionable Sarah Jessica Parker's choice of it as the middle name of one of her twin daughters freshens it up a bit. It's one of several such names, like Anita and Rita that we can envision making a comeback.
  19. Solange

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "solemn"

    • Description:

      This is a soft, soignée French girls' namethat has become familiar here via singer Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyonce.
  20. Poe

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "peacock"

    • Description:

      An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of detective and science fiction, which might provide inspiration for parents who are fans. And now its choice as the name of the hero played by Oscar Isaac in the new Star Wars movie is sure to catapult it from literary choice to major favorite.